Aron Wiesenfeld’s paintings, though not actually narrative in the usual sense, carry an implied a narrative, a suggestion that you are glimpsing a scene for which relevant events are happening, or have happened, outside the scope of what is seen.

In scenes that carry an atmosphere of isolation, his subjects, often young women, stare contemplatively — and in some way seem detached from their immediate surroundings, reinforcing the feeling that something of importance, but unseen to the viewer, is the focus of their thoughts.

Wiesenfeld’s finesse in walking up to the edge of overt narrative, and then pulling back just enough to leave the mystery intact, perhaps owes to storytelling skills developed in his early work as a comic book artist and cover illustrator.

After leaving that field he studied traditional classical painting and drawing at the Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, and from there began his still evolving approach to his painted subjects.

Wiesenfeld utilizes muted ranges of value and color, punctuated with higher contrast areas of primary interest, to give his compositions a feeling of drama as well as an undercurrent of emotion. This is heightened by his use of texture to slow down the eye, let linger over backgrounds and environments, and add to the sense of stillness and reflection.

There are galleries of both paintings and drawings on Wiesenfeld’s website, as well as a stream on Flickr.

Those in the New York area can see Wiesenfeld’s work on display in a one artist exhibition of new work at the Arcadia Gallery in Soho. The show runs until November 24, 2012.

(Note that after the show ends, the link given above will change to the next current show, but you will still be able to view Wiesenfeld’s work at the Arcadia, which represents his work on an ongoing basis, using this link.) The images galleries on the Arcadia site are more extensive than those on the artist’s own site.

Apparently there are some 90 million potential voters here in the U.S. who will not be exercising their right to vote today — perhaps too busy, too lazy, too put off by the relentless negativity of the campaigns, or just too unconcerned with the outcome of the election to be bothered. Maybe they simply think the election doesn’t affect them or things they care about.

If any of you who are reading this are among those 90 million, think on this: the next U.S. president will set a tone for the nation, and his intentions will likely become law in some areas of particular importance to art and artists in this country.

If you think the world of art and artists is somehow removed from, and unaffected by, national politics — look again.

The two presidential candidates have distinctly different views on the importance of the arts in society, and the role of government in providing an environment in which the arts can thrive — notably in the form of government funding for the arts, art related programs in schools, public funding for museums, libraries, public art spaces and organizations like the National Endowment for the Arts and the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.

Americans for the Arts Action Fund, a non-partisan, not-for-profit organization dedicated to promoting legislation favorable to the arts, has compiled a chart of the 2012 Presidential Candidates Arts Positions, and a Congressional Report Card that may help you understand where the candidates stand on issues affecting the arts in the U.S.

It matters.

There are countries in this world where people literally risk their lives to cast a ballot; here, all you have to do is get out from behind the computer for 20 minutes and drive down to the polls.

Really.

(Images above: Norman Rockwell)